After the COVID-19…
Nehemiah 1-13 (with special attention to Neh 8.10)
This week, we are taking a break from the "From Outbreak to Breakthrough" sermon series because the Bible reading plan is astonishingly relevant to our current situation. Therefore, we will reflect upon what we can learn from the book of Nehemiah.
Like the people of Nehemiah, many of us feel stuck and we cannot wait until the pandemic is over. Our new lifestyle is constricting, leaving many of us feeling lost, anxious, and unsettled. The people of Nehemiah felt this way to a greater degree as they were living under captivity. However, everything seems to go back to normal when the Persian empire releases the people from exile. People are once again filled with hope, only to realize that the problem was never the captivity, but their tendency to suppress, distort, or reject God's character and involvement in their lives.
We see this in two ways. (1) In the beginning of the book, the people are discouraged because the Jerusalem Wall is in ruins. God stirs their heart to rely on him and the preserve despite much opposite to finally rebuild the Wall (Neh 1-7)! Like us, we might also be discouraged; like the people in Nehemiah, God is calling us to rely on him so that we can find strength to persevere.
(2) However, the book does not end well. The people struggle with all kinds of sin, most notably their inability to understand even the language of the Bible (Neh 13.24). Even after God's faithfulness and experiencing victories, we see the people disconnect themselves from God. This is a gentle warning to all of us. We might get through COVID-19 and eventually experience a season of victory. But like the people in Nehemiah, our tendency is to disconnect ourselves from God.
What can we learn from this relevant, yet sobering, account? The heart of the book centers on Nehemiah 8.10. Despite God's foreknowledge of all of the ways that the people would suppress, distort, and reject his character and involvement, he still has joy for his people. And it is this joy that enables us to persevere with strength. The idea that God has joy for you is mind-blogging. The only reason is because we are now in Christ. It is because Jesus's blood covers all of our sin and Jesus's Spirit is making us more obedient that we are guaranteed that God has joy for us. So whether we are in the pandemic or out of it, let us place all our hope in the fact that our God has joy for us because of Jesus Christ!
Share any open reactions to the sermon.
1. The people in Nehemiah are looking forward to a new change, only to realize that when they finally experience that change, the same problems still persist in their life.
In what ways can you identify with the people in Nehemiah?
How can this help us have a better perspective during these uncertain times?
2. Look back on your own life and share about instances where God was faithful to you and provided you victory. How can these testimonies and experiences strengthen you during this time?
3. The people in Nehemiah eventually disconnected themselves from God, not even able to read or understand the language of the Bible. In what ways do you have the tendency to respond to God like the way that the people in Nehemiah did?
4. Reflect upon the idea that the God of the universe has joy over you--despite your sinful tendency and only because of the death/resurrection of Jesus Christ. How can this give you strength and joy during whatever circumstances you might be experiencing?
